


The Guidebook - (Bechloe Edition)

by melroihag



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Will add tags and characters as they appear, bechloe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-14 05:12:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16906752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melroihag/pseuds/melroihag
Summary: Beca finds out that Chloe accepted Chicago’s marriage proposal and as a ‘goodbye’, she gifts them a guidebook written by herself, on how to take care of the girl who stole her heart from the very first moment they met.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of a fic I've written for the Carmilla fandom, using Bechloe instead in the hopes that I'll be inspired to finish both this story and the original.

Aubrey had told Stacie the moment she hung the phone up from Chicago. She was equal parts excited and gutted. Excited because she knew Chicago had been nervous to ask Chloe in the first place, and that Chloe had said yes, but she was gutted because she knew and had known for years, that Beca Mitchell was in love with the bubbly redhead, and that this engagement was going to crush her.

As soon as Aubrey told her, Stacie knew they had to warn Beca, and fast, despite being told by Aubrey to leave it and to let Chloe break the news of the engagement to Beca, herself.  
But Stacie couldn’t just leave it. She was closer with Beca than Aubrey had been, even though the blonde had eventually grown fond of the grumpy brunette.  
She also knew from experience, what it’s like to be in love with a friend and not really know how to navigate that topic of conversation. But it worked out fine in the end for herself and Aubrey, Stacie just wish it had been the case with with friends too.

She didn’t want to tell Beca over a text or slip it in casually during a phone call, so Stacie went to the one place they knew she’d be. At the studio.  
She breezed past the front desk after a quick flirt with the receptionist, and made her way to where Beca’s office was. Finding it empty, she asked an intern passing her in the hallway, where the brunette was and flashed a smile in thanks as she headed upstairs to the recording areas.

Stooping just short of the door and peering in the small window, she found Beca bobbing her head to a track playing through the headphones on her head, the sight one she’d seen many a time back in college. She pressed the button and Beca saw the light shine above her, to let her know someone was wanting to enter. A smile lit her face as she found Stacie and she pressed the buzzer, letting her tall friend in. 

“Hey Becs!” Stacie smiled awkwardly, trying not to make her nerves completely obvious.  
Holding a finger up to signal she’d just be a moment, Beca turned back to the mixing board and computer to tweak a small bit and then save the track.  
Stacie sat down on the couch behind her, wiping her sweating palms on her jean-clad thighs, as she looked around the room, everywhere but at Beca directly, whilst they waited. She was mid-thought of how to broach the subject when the petite brunette took her headphones off, and swivelled round in the chair to face her.

The smile on Beca’s face made Stacie’s heart ache, as she took a deep breath and braced herself for the blow that they were about to give, ultimately ruining the music producer’s good mood.  
Beca’s eyes narrowed minutely when she noticed Stacie’s knee starting to bounce erratically, so instead of bothering with pleasantries, she cut right to the chase.

“What’s the matter?” Beca asked, something about Stacie’s awkward posture, just not sitting right with her.  
The blatant question got Stacie’s attention, her gaze landing on Beca’s.  
“Hm?” she hummed instead, not quite trusting her voice.  
Beca pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed out slowly.  
“I really don’t have time for games, Stace…” she whined.  
“Games? What games?” Stacie stuttered, silently cursing herself for being so damn obvious.  
“Your knee is going a hundred miles a minute.” Beca explained, motioning to the knee currently bobbing up and down.  
Stacie’s gaze dropped to her hands in her lap and mumbled, “I haven’t seen you in awhile and just wanted to catch up.” grimacing at her lame attempt at avoiding the subject.  
Beca rolled her eyes and scoffed, “ I came over for dinner with you and Aubrey last week? So what’s this really about?” she said, eyeing the long legged brunette wearily, as her brow creased with concern.

Stacie looked up at her hesitantly before answering. “It’s Chloe.” She whispered.  
Beca’s eyes widened drastically and she got to her feet almost instantly, dread masking her features.  
“What happened? Where is she? Is she okay?” she asked, the panic in her voice a reflection of that on her face.  
Stacie realised where Beca’s thoughts had gone to and was quick to reassure her that Chloe was in fact fine.  
The petite brunette sat down again slowly, her gaze searching Stacie’s face for any clues on what the hell was going on. Stacie cleared her throat and took another deep breath.  
“So, Chicago…” they began to say, and had to swallow her nerves when Beca rolled her eyes just at the mere mention of his name.  
“…told Aubrey who told me…” she was cut off.  
“Get to it, Stace.” Beca said impatiently.  
“HE PROPOSED TO CHLOE AND CHLOE SAID YES.” she blurted out, rather loudly. 

Stacie waited with baited breath for any emotional response from the brunette sat opposite her, but nothing came. Beca just sat in the swivel chair silently, the words sinking in and expertly cutting her up from the inside out.  
Stacie didn’t know how much time had passed before Beca finally moved. Her face remained expressionless, but she nodded her head, slowly at first and then a little faster as she huffed a laugh and raised to her feet.  
Stacie copied her movements, standing as she waited for Beca to say something, but she didn’t expect Beca to stretch her arms above her head, yawn and then exhale with a small smile on her face.  
“Do you wanna go for a drink later?” Beca asked out of the blue and Stacie’s jaw hung open for a split second.  
“A drink? Sure! Drinks later sound good.” she agreed quickly, even as an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach.  
“Great, I’ve gotta finish this and then I’ll text you later, okay?” Beca offered with a smile, that even Stacie knew was a mask to hide her true feelings.  
“Aubrey too, or?” the tall brunette asked hesitantly, as she made her way over to the door.  
Beca nodded slightly, laughing to herself, “Preferably, yeah.” her tone was more a plea than a question and she smiled gratefully when Stacie nodded in understanding.  
“Awesome.” she said a little too cheerfully, before turning back to the mixing deck, avoiding Stacie’s line of sight. “Thanks for telling me by the way. I’m really happy for the both of them.” Beca surprised even herself with how her voice didn’t break.  
Stacie frowned, the voice in her head telling her that something was really off here, but instead all that came out was, a “See you later.” before she left the room, closing the door behind her.  
   
Beca left work early, she finished the song she’d been working on. As she passed Theo in the corridor, she - as casually as she could - said she was finally going to take that holiday leave she’d built up, without even bothering to wait for a response.  
She went straight to her apartment, and as soon as the door shut behind her, she exhaled shakily. Her chest was heavy and her head was throbbing. She’d surprised even herself with how composed she’d been when Stacie told her, and even afterwards.

She went to her room and rang the only person she could at a time like this, putting it on loud speaker, she rest her phone on her bed as she climbed to the top of her closet to grab her huge duffle bag.  
“Go for Fat Amy.” the familiar voice caused Beca to roll her eyes fondly, as a small smile curved her lips at the sound of her voice of her best friend.  
“Please tell me you don’t answer the phone like that every the time?” she couldn’t help but laugh, as she - ironically - stumbled out of the closet, opening the huge empty bag on her bed.  
“I’m sorry, who is this?” Amy’s tone made it clear that she knew who it was, she was just annoyed with Beca.  
“Don’t you have caller ID?” the brunette pointed out and the silence she received was answer enough.  
“Ames, I’m sorry I haven’t rang in awhile…” she sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed.  
A coughed, “4 months.” echoed down the phone and Beca pinched the bridge of her nose.  
“I know I’ve been a shitty friend, but how about I make it up to you?” she crossed the fingers on her free hand and closed her eyes.  
“I’m listening.” Amy drawled out, causing a smile to twitch on the brunette’s lips.  
“I was thinking I could come visit for awhile?” Beca said as casually as she could.  
“What’s the catch.” Amy mumbled and the brunette sighed.  
“You have to put up with my sarcastic ass.” she tried to joke and lighten the mood.

When she got no reply, Beca thought that the line had gone dead, until Amy spoke up.  
“I’ll have the jet come get you.” was what she got in response.  
“You don’t have to do that, I’ll just see if I can book one-” Beca was cut off.  
“What’s the point in having a jet if I can’t fly my best friend out to see me?” Amy said and Beca smiled at the mention of still being her ‘best friend’.  
“You’re the best.” Beca spoke uncharacteristically softly, the news of today finally catching up with her.  
“I know.” Amy said confidently, causing the brunette to roll her eyes and laugh again.  
“Okay, well.. I’ll see you soon.” Beca smiled.  
“You too, Shortstack!” Amy called out before the line went dead.

Beca put her phone on charge by her bedside table, before stuffing ‘the essentials’ into the duffle bag and leaving it by the door for later.  
Now all she had to do was write something, she’d been meaning to for awhile now, and reminded herself to give it to Stacie later.  
Beca made her way over to her battered old laptop and sat down at her desk slowly. The photos hung up on the wall of herself and the Bella’s, herself and various artists she’d had the pleasure of working with all making her smile, until she landed on a photo of herself and Chloe, one that had been taken by someone else clearly as the two of them were huddled closely, Beca whispering something in the redhead’s ear, causing that infectious giggle to come out.  
Her eyes lingered on that photo. She remembered that night clearly. It was during a treble house party, back in their barden days, and Beca had gotten into an argument with Jesse earlier that day. Chloe had convinced her to go to the party anyway, promising to stay by her side all night, and that she did. Beca only had the one drink, not really feeling in the mood for it and instead spent the evening in a Chloe Beale bubble. Whispering and giggling and even though they were in a house full of people, the only person she saw was Chloe.

Thoughts of the redhead entered her mind then and an involuntary grin etched itself onto her face.  
She opened a blank document, cracked her knuckles and then began to type up a guidebook on how to properly look after one, Chloe Madeleine Beale.

A lump grew in her throat, for the second time that day, as she was typing, the whole ordeal just bittersweet. There was nothing she wanted more in this world than for Chloe to be happy… she’d just always imagined and wished that it would’ve been with her.

Even before she’d fully realised just how deep her feelings for the bubbly blue-eyed beauty ran, she’d always pictured the two of them together. Whether it was romantically or not, she didn’t truly know, but none of that mattered now.  
Chloe had Chicago to take care of her now. Not that she didn’t before, but with the news of their engagement, any flicker of hope Beca had was now snuffed out. Chloe deserved to be happy and whether or not Beca wanted to admit it, Army dude made her happy.

So Beca would do what was essentially for the best, and remove herself from the situation entirely and get out of town. She’ll go and stay with Amy for as long as she needs to, until she figures out her next step.


	2. Chapter 2

Usually when Beca would start to write anything, much like when she was back in college and had to write essays, she’d fall in and out of writer’s block, but she had been writing this guidebook-of-sorts, for nearly six hours straight. Carefully and thoughtfully planning out each step to write, creating multiple drafts and editing each furiously before the wording reached what she deemed worthy. Occasionally she laughed to herself as a memory of herself and Chloe played in her mind and a small tug on her heart would make itself known, reminding her of the engagement, reminding her that this was both her wedding present and goodbye to the person who meant the most to her.  


Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought of leaving later that night, to get on Amy’s jet, without saying a proper goodbye in person to the bubbly redhead, but it had to be this way because if she saw Chloe, she knew she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to leave. Chloe deserved better than for Beca to wear a fake smile all the time when Chicago’s around, which is what she’d done since Chicago and Chloe became official.  


It’s exhausting to pretend to be happy for them, even if that does sound selfish, because despite what Beca likes and doesn’t like about herself, she does believe that she deserves better too. Better than to spend forever in love with her best friend who will never feel the same way about her. So, in that exact moment, she decided that it was time she moved on with her life.  


_‘Who knows, maybe I’ll find someone else to love one day… someday, maybe.’_ she thought to herself, cursing under her breath as bright blue eyes and fiery red hair flooded her thoughts.  


With a big sigh, she saved the multi-page document, along with an accompanying letter, folded the pages into an envelope, sealing it with a sticker of her name that Chloe had bought her as a joke gift for her birthday. _‘Why a sticker of your own name?’_ she asked herself, glancing at her phone for the time, she didn’t have long left and she still needed to meet Stacie for that drink she’d promised this morning. Also, she was out of sticky tape and knew what Chloe was like whenever she received a gift. Always over excited and eager to open whatever it may be in an instant.  


Once her bag was packed with the essentials, she slung it over her shoulder, turned the lights in her apartment off and locked the door behind her, before making her way over to Stacie’s place.  


Aubrey answered the door and looked confused to see her.  


“Beca.” she greeted her, giving a short hug.  


“Hey, is Stace here? We’re supposed to be going for drinks, I just thought I’d swing by on my way there, see if she wanted to walk together?” Beca asked, looking behind the blonde for any sign of the brunette.  


“She actually just left about fifteen minutes ago. She should be at the place she usually runs off to meet you at after we’ve had a fight, under the pretense of ‘going out for some air’.” Aubrey said, folding her arms across her chest. She didn’t sound annoyed with her, just that she knew and to basically tell Stacie she’d been caught out.  


Beca winced and smiled sheepishly, as she took a few steps back.  


“Right, okay thanks!” she raked a hand through her hair, her thoughts racing a mile a minute.  


Just as Aubrey was about to shut the front door, Beca stopped it promptly with her foot.  


“Can you actually do me a favour?” she asked, one hand on the door and a pleading look in her eyes.  


Aubrey’s chest tightened uncomfortably at the obvious hurt Beca was trying - and failing - to hide behind her cracking facade. She didn’t trust her voice so she nodded instead.  


Beca grabbed something out of her bag and hesitantly handed over a bulky envelope.  


“Could you hold onto this for me?” she asked, a foreign vulnerability creeping into her voice. The brunette scratched the back of her head in a nervous tick, her eyes reluctantly leaving the parcel in the blonde’s capable hands, unwilling to meet her pitiful gaze.  


Aubrey took one look at the name on the front and smiled apologetically at the petite brunette, as she gently took the weighty envelope from her.  


“Of course.” Aubrey uttered, but glancing upward, she watched Beca as she retreated back down the road she came, bag slung over her slumped shoulder once again.  


Aubrey couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She placed the package on the coffee table and went back in the kitchen to finish cooking.  


Chloe and Chicago were going to be there in an hour’s time, so she had a lot to get done before then, including putting up a congratulations banner and a fabulous spread of homemade treats.  


Upon seeing the first flicker of pity in Aubrey’s eyes, Beca had mentally berated herself for getting into the situation in the first place. Of course Chloe wouldn’t love her, at least not in the way she wanted.  


She heaved the door to bar open for the last time, for awhile at least, and snapped out of her thoughts as soon as she saw Stacie’s face light up, smiling at her from across the bar. Probably surprised that Beca actually showed up.  


She waved her over and as Beca grew closer, the smile from Stacie’s face dropped and her brows drew together in confusion at the bag on her back.  


Beca dropped the bag to her feet and plopped herself down opposite her friend with an elongated sigh.  


“Going somewhere?” the leggy brunette asked, instead of a proper greeting.  


Beca waved her comment away and ordered shots and a whisky and coke.  


Stacie waited with baited breath for an explanation, but she also knew Beca and how she’ll avoid the subject like the plague.  


“So, how was your day? Anything interesting happen since I saw you this morning?” Beca asked, taking a sip of her drink.  


Stacie’s gaze narrowed as her friend avoided the question, but nonetheless humoured her by answering.  


“Aubrey invited Chloe and Chicago over for dinner.” she replied quietly, examining every twitch of the tiny brunette’s face.  


Beca huffed a short laugh and shook her head as her laughing increased, and Stacie sat staring at her, wondering if this was the beginning of a mental breakdown because she knew for a fact that she hadn’t said anything remotely funny in the past five minutes.  


Beca pushed a shot glass towards Stacie and raised her own.  


“To Friendship!” she laughed, clinking her glass against Stacie’s before knocking back the contents of hers and slamming it back down on the bar top.  


Stacie had driven to the bar and so placed the glass down and opted for a lime and soda instead.  


“I know I’m not the easiest of people to get along with, and you probably only put up with me because of the Bella’s, but… thanks.” she said patting Stacie on the shoulder as unbidden tears sprung to her eyes.  


Stacie was speechless for a moment, she genuinely didn’t know what to say. Beca only ever showed this softer, more vulnerable side of herself to Chloe. But when the brunette hummed and was nearly half-way through her drink, she cleared her throat, gaining Beca’s attention.  


“We may have met because of the Bella’s back in college...” she admitted and Beca nodded her head, a sad but wistful smile on her face.  


“But where else am I gonna find a ridiculously sarcastic pain in the ass, who has my back?” she added smiling, which caused Beca to huff a laugh and roll her eyes.  


“I definitely don’t keep you around solely because you pinky swore I’d be your date to your first Grammy awards.” Stacie teased, lightly.  


Beca bumped her shoulder against Stacie’s and for the first time, felt reassured.  


“I need you to do me a favour.” Beca’s voice taking on a more vulnerable tone, stormy blue eyes locking on the napkin that was currently being torn into tiny pieces.  


“Mhm?” Stacie hummed, brow raised in question and gaze fixed on Beca over her glass as she took another drink.  


“I wrote something… it’s at your house… and when... _they_... come over later, I need you to give them both the envelope.” she said, wincing as she mentioned _‘they’_ , her voice solemn and her features suddenly free from any emotion at all.  


Stacie choked on her drink, face turning red as Beca pat her on the back, concern furrowing Beca’s brow. She cleared her throat and tried again.  


“I can do that for you. On one condition.” Stacie agreed, then eyed Beca warily as she prepared to bargain.  


Beca pinched the bridge of her nose before taking a deep breath in and exhaling through her nose.  


“I suppose that’s only fair.” the petite brunette agreed, trying desperately to hide the pain in her eyes as she looked up at her friend hesitantly from beneath her eyelashes.  


Stacie’s stare flickered between a very small looking Beca and her huge duffle bag. A horrible feeling sinking to her stomach.  


“Just…” she rethought what she were going to say when Beca winced.  


“Just look after yourself, alright? Don't be a stranger.” she amended, patting her on the shoulder.  


Beca was grateful that Stacie didn’t ask her where she was going - as she had given Amy strict instructions to not tell anyone. Not a single Bella besides Amy and Beca, obviously, would know of the brunette’s whereabouts - or ask how long for because honestly, she had no idea herself. So instead, she stood up and wrapped Stacie in an awkward one-armed hug and pressed a kiss to the side of her head before ruffling her hair up, just because she knew Stacie hated when she did that.  


“Hey, watch it Mitchell.” the leggy brunette glared at her, fixing her hair.  


“Can you give me a lift to the station?” Beca asked, gathering up her bag off the floor.  


“Sure.” Stacie finished her drink and left a tip on the bar top.  


The car was filled with companionable silence as Stacie stopped just outside the train station.  


It was a clear night out, the stars shining brightly as Beca stared up at them. A shooting star flew past and Beca sighed with an involuntary smile on her face as Chloe’s face filled her mind.  


“She’s the shooting star I wasn’t fast enough to wish on.” she huffed a small self-deprecating laugh, before patting Stacie on the shoulder and giving it a little squeeze.  


“Take care of yourself, Legs.” she said, opening the car door and retrieving her bag from the backseat.  


“You too, DJ.” Stacie yelled through the window.  


“Oh, before I forget… Aubrey knows about the bar and that you meet me there after you two have a fight. Don’t ask me how because I didn’t tell her… Good luck!” Beca pulled a ‘Yikes!’ face before saluting and making her way into the station.  


“Well, shit.” Stacie cursed herself, waiting for the tiny brunette to disappear from sight before driving home to help Aubrey with dinner preparations.  


Beca made it just in time to catch her train. She only had two stops before a cab would drop her at the airfield, Amy’s jet ready and waiting for her. She slumped into the seat with her bag on her lap, resting her head back and closing her eyes.  


Emotionally and physically exhausted, she let her phone go straight to voicemail. Three missed calls and five unanswered messages from ‘Chlo’. Unable to hold back any longer, she finally allowed her heart to break as the train pulled away from the station.  


The bag on her lap feeling three times as heavy, as thoughts of the redhead ran through her mind. She blinked away the traitorous tears that dared to fall, her gaze on her reflection in the window.  


Despite reminding herself that she’ll be seeing Amy for the first time in ages, the ache in her chest still throbbed. She didn’t believe in all that ‘time heals all wounds’ crap, but a small part of her hoped it was true, for her sake. The tears stopped and she clutched her oversized bag closer to her chest and let her eyes close once more, letting her breathing sync with that of the sound of the train on the tracks.


	3. Chapter 3

When they arrived, Chicago went to help Aubrey in the kitchen with plating up food, taking the bottle of wine he and Chloe had brought over with him.

Chloe’s brow creased and she sighed in frustration, raking a hand through her startlingly red hair as she paced the room.

Beca hadn’t answered any of her calls or even read any of the texts she’d sent. Chloe knew she hadn’t seen her in about a week or so, but still she was pretty sure that Beca was never too busy to answer her calls.

Chicago entered the living room again and sat on the couch whilst they waited for Stacie to arrive home so they could all eat. He pat the space next to him and Chloe sat down, pouting as she leant her head against his shoulder.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” he asked, playing with the ends of red strands.

Chloe sat up straight, a permanent frown on her face.

“Beca’s not answered any of my calls. I’ve text her like twelve times too. It’s just not like her to be radio silent.” she worried, her gaze lingering on her phone before looking up at her boyfriend.

She looked up just in time to see Chicago’s eye roll and dramatic sigh. He stopped playing with her hair, and sat forward instead, covering his face with both hands and resting his elbows on his knees.

Aubrey entered the room then with placemats draped over her forearm.

“Hey, Bree?” Chloe asked, ignoring Chicago’s reaction.

“Yes, Chlo?” the blonde asked as she set the table.

“Did you invite Beca? She hasn’t answered any of my calls and I haven’t seen her in awhile.” the redhead worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

Chicago got up and went back into the kitchen hastily. Aubrey’s eyes following the military man until Chloe called her name to get her attention.

“Hm? Oh, Sorry. Yeah, I saw Beca earlier today actually. She was meeting Stacie for drinks.” she explained walking over to the coffee table in front of her best friend.

“She left this.” Aubrey added, tracing the sticker on the back with her fingertip, “I guess she’ll tell Stacie what it’s about.”

A loud bang of crashing pans sounded from the kitchen, followed by a “Sorry!”, causing Aubrey to drop the envelope to the table again and return to the kitchen.

Chloe picked the envelope up and turned it over. A small involuntary smile curved her lips as she also trailed her fingers over the familiar-looking sticker. She remembered buying the packet of ‘Beca’ stickers after she had them made when ordering some school supplies. Beca’s face once she’d opened them was worth every penny spent. The redhead briefly wondered if this was the first time Beca had ever used them.

She’d the stickers as a joke because whenever they went to the mall, none of the personalised gifts ever had Beca’s name, but they always had Chloe’s. So as a surprise, Chloe ordered some online with Beca’s name on them, and when Beca asked where she’d found them, the redhead had simply replied that she looked had enough, instead of giving up after a few minutes, teasing the petite brunette endlessly.

Turning the bulky envelope over, Chloe’s brows creased when she read the nickname only Beca had for her, written in said brunette’s familiar handwriting. She’d always been jealous of how effortlessly cool her handwriting was and still is.

Chloe’s interest piqued when she saw that there was a million handwritten pages inside, her gut sinking with a feeling she couldn’t quite put her finger on, as she pulled the contents of the package out, her eyes drinking in every word.

The very first page was titled, _‘A Guidebook to taking care of Chloe Madeleine Beale’_ with the subtitle reading, _‘Helpful tips for the lucky one she falls in love with.’_

Her brows furrowed in confusion, when the small voice in the back of her head pieced everything together. Her eyes nearly came out of their sockets and her mouth ran dry. She couldn’t possibly have read that right.

The sound of the front door closing startled her, making her head snap up instantly and finding a dejected looking Stacie turning to peer over at her.

“Chloe.” was all they managed to get out, shock written all over her face. Stacie’s eyes spotting the half-open package in the redhead’s hands and then back up to Chloe’s curious blue eyes.

Chicago appeared in the doorway to the kitchen then and Chloe turned to look up at him, just as Stacie crossed the room, snatching the package from Chloe’s lap and began putting everything back into the envelope. She leant against the back of one of the dining chairs with the package clutched firmly to her chest as she breathed deeply.

“What’s going on?” Chicago asked hesitantly, his gaze flicking between a shocked redhead to a tense brunette.

“Who gave you that?” Chicago pointed toward the padded envelope in Stacie’s ironclad grip, as he took his place next to Chloe on the couch.

Instead of answering him, Stacie trained her gaze on Chloe. The silent questions in the redhead’s brilliantly blue eyes making her stomach drop. Stacie looked over at Chloe apologetically, but only slightly, as both of their body language indicated that they were each bracing for a fight.

“Look, I promised her I wouldn’t give it to you until it was the right time. So can we just pretend this never happened.” Stacie clearly wasn’t asking.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at the brunette’s tone and raised to her feet, crossing the room and snatched the envelope back.

“ _Who_ did you promise?” she asked, her voice high as she scowled at Stacie, knowing full well who she was referring to.

Aubrey appeared in the room then, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.

“Oh, you’re back! How was your drinks with Beca?” she asked cheerfully.

Stacie plastered a half-hearted smile to the blonde before reaching for the parcel from Chloe.

The redhead took a step back just out of Stacie’s reach, and tilted her head in question.

“Drinks with Beca?” she said slowly, mulling over the many things she wanted to say, before landing on, “Why were you having drinks with her?”

“Contrary to popular belief, she does have other friends Chlo.” the brunette mumbled just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, earning a glare and scolding from Aubrey.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chloe scoffed as if it were the most absurd thing she’d ever heard. Of course Beca had friends.

When she wasn’t going to answer, Aubrey raised just a single brow and Stacie broke. “It was just a goodbye drink.” she huffed sadly, all trace of anger gone as she glanced up at the redhead through her eyelashes, her eyes starting to sting a little.

Chloe’s face morphed through a variety of different emotions as she realised just what the brunette meant. Stacie could tell she knew what she’d meant, as Chloe’s face paled and it was Chicago’s turn to scoff.

“Goodbye? Where are you going?” he asked confused, completely unaware of his girlfriend frozen in place.

Stacie wasn’t Chicago’s biggest fan, maybe she was biased, but his attitude was starting to seriously piss her off.

“ _I’m_ not going anywhere.” she emphasised clearly, directing her gaze to him briefly before gauging the redhead’s reaction.

“Where is she?” was all Chloe said, her free hand curling into a fist at her side, as she clutched the envelope closer to her chest with the other.

Stacie’s gaze dropped to the floor as she scuffed her sock clad toes on the carpet. Scratching the back of her neck, in the nervous tick she’d picked up from the girl in question. The brunette was extremely conflicted, as a friend of both Chloe and Beca, all she wanted was for the both of them to be happy, and after Beca finding out about the love of her life’s engagement to someone else, Stacie figured she’d been through enough, and deserved a chance at happiness too, so she decided not to tell Chloe where she’d just dropped the tiny DJ off.

Stacie’s standoffish attitude was making Chloe’s blood boil with thinly-veiled rage.

“I’m just gonna go…” the redhead grabbed her phone and turned toward the front door, only to have Chicago stand up directly in front of her, stopping her from reaching the front door.

“Babe, I’m sure she’s fine.” she said gently, running his hands down his girlfriend’s arms.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t bother.” Stacie mumbled, trying to disguise her comment behind a fake cough, gaining herself a swat around the back of the head from Aubrey, a confused look from Chicago and a dangerously angry glare Chloe Beale.

“What do you mean? Beca’s been purposefully ignoring Chloe’s calls? That’s rude.” he frowned.

Chloe was struggling to keep her breathing under control.

Stacie decided it was about time someone shed some light on the matter, so bracing herself from the onslaught of Aubrey’s fatal glares, she peered down at her feet, scowling to herself.

“Well, I don’t blame her. I’d do the same thing if I was in her shoes.” she cleared her throat and levelled her gaze with Chloe’s.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, staring pointedly at the brunette.

“Anastasia” she hissed, her words laced with an unspoken warning.

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?” Chloe asked, her voice angry and expression hurt.

“One dinner.” the blonde sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of her nose, “I just wanted one god damned dinner!” she flustered, before slouching into one of the dining chairs in defeat.

“You might as well read what she’s written.” Aubrey said motioning to the envelope in Chloe’s grasp.

The redhead looked to Stacie who gave up and just nodded, slumping into the chair opposite Aubrey. Chloe then looked to her boyfriend who was waiting expectantly and took a deep breath. She pulled the contents out of the package once more and flipped to the second page, reading it aloud;

“As her Best Friend, I’ve been so lucky in getting to know this incredible human being. I know all the secrets to making sure you take the best care of Miss Chloe Beale, and I’m going to share them with you, as my gift and ‘thank you’ for loving the most spectacular person I’ll ever know.”

Chloe’s voice trailed off into silence as she looked up at Stacie in disbelief, whilst Chicago was watching the redhead very carefully, a hint of a smug smile playing on his lips. Aubrey rest her elbow on the table and covered her eyes with her hand, staying silent.

Stacie’s lips twitched, as if she were going to say something, before she shook her head instead, then nodded encouragingly for Chloe to continue reading.

So she did, flipping the page over and reading aloud once more.

“Tip #1: If you’re fortunate enough to see the vulnerable side of Chloe, I have only one thing to say. Don’t pressure her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. She’s a strong individual, the strongest I know and she’ll do things in her own time when she’s ready.

Tip #5: She might not tell you when she’s sad, but if you detect even the slightest change in her behaviour/attitude, make sure to let her know you’re there if she needs to talk and **_do not_** forget to remind her just how much you love her.

Tip #9: There will be times where she’ll say something that’ll make you mad at her, but I promise you she’s only ever got the very best intentions at heart. (Don’t you dare yell at her.)

Tip #14: She’s scared of literally everything, so if you take her to see a scary movie, then make sure you hold her hand, damn it.

Tip #20: She’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. She’ll always try her best to make you laugh/smile when you’re not feeling great. She’s great at cheering people up just from her blinding smile alone.

Tip #21: She likes funny people, so please do all you can to make her laugh wherever and whenever you can. Her laugh is the single most beautiful sound in this entire universe, so don’t take hearing it regularly for granted.

Tip #28: Make sure you compliment her at every chance you get because she deserves to be told how truly incredible she is every single day.

Tip #37: She has the purest heart, and you better do everything in your power to protect it with every fibre of your being, if need be. Don’t ever let her think for even a second that she isn’t good enough.

Tip #44: She likes to make pinky promises, so if you make one with her, can’t break it. Like, ever. You have to stick by it.

Tip #50: Now I’m giving you a fair warning because I wasn’t given one. You’re going to have to like Justin Bieber because he’s features on many of her playlists, and if you don’t like his music, then… good luck. But seriously, he does have some “okay” tracks that you’ll find yourself listening to even when she’s not around. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Tip #56: Don’t ever let a day go by without telling her how much you love her, and how beautiful and amazing she is.

Tip #72: It’s a huge plus if she tells you that her father likes you. Mr Beale is the best! Seriously the most protective and loving man. I shouldn't have to tell you to show him nothing but the utmost respect, that should just be a given.

Tip #80: _**NEVER**_ lie to her. I mean never. _Ever._ Always be honest with her, even if it’s brutal because she deserves to know that she has someone she can trust wholeheartedly, without even the tiniest amount of doubt in her mind.

That’s all the tips I can think of off the top of my head to give you going into the next chapter of your lives together.  
I honestly can’t thank you enough for loving this extraordinary person. I’ve been fortunate enough to call her my Best Friend for more years than I deserved, and that’s the one thing I’m most grateful for and will cherish always.

Congratulations on the engagement, but most importantly, congratulations even more so, on the fact that your partner in life is, to put it quite simply, the Eighth Wonder of the World.”

  
Chloe’s was frozen, watery eyes stuck halfway out of their sockets. The room was eerily quiet, Chicago hadn’t uttered a word, Aubrey had reached across the table and was gently rubbing soothing circles on the back of Stacie’s hands. Stacie was sat holding Aubrey’s hands, staring at the table cloth gloomily.

The final piece of paper was folded in half and addressed to ‘ _Sunshine_ ’, the nickname causing her heart to stop momentarily, then almost in the same instant, pick up speed. The ache in her chest throbbed painfully as she unfolded the piece of paper, fear shooting into Chloe’s gut like a knife, as her breathing became shallow. Her eyes falling over the words once, twice, three times.

 _Chlo,_  
_I’m so sorry to leave at such short notice without saying goodbye, but you know I was never any good with those… or words in general, but..._  
_I want to congratulate you on getting engaged, I know this is what you’ve always wanted._

_My only regret is that I can’t be there to witness that breathtaking smile of yours, light up your face as you say “I do” to spending the rest of your life with the person you adore most in this world._

_You gave me the best years of my life and for that I can never repay you._

_So, as my last and final gift to you, I’ve left._

_I am truly sorry if my... less than pleasant... attitude toward your, well, now fiance, has caused you any stress or made you upset. Yes, Aubrey and I have spoken and I realise that I made you feel like you had to ‘choose’ between Chicago and I, when asking to meet up for a catch up. I should never have made it an option. That was entirely unfair of me, and I deeply regret upsetting you because of this._

_I’m pretty sure I know you well enough, to know that you’ll probably never forgive me for not being able to attend the most important day of your life, and I’ll just have to live with that._

_But after years of keeping this secret, I figured it was time to finally let it go, and who better to share it with than my Best Friend?_

_**Chloe Madeleine Beale, I am completely and utterly in love with you.  
** _

_**And I guess I always have been.** _

_Ever since we first met I’ve been fascinated by you._

_Every one of my favourite memories involve **you**. One that sticks out significantly thought, is when you tried to recruit me for the Bella’s, back at Barden. I had no idea that harmonies could sound that goddamn beautiful, damn it!_

_Despite the harrowing study sessions and the copious amount of cardio we had to endure during those Bella’s rehearsals, I thank my lucky stars for being gifted with the most infuriatingly persistent and ridiculously affectionate person as my friend._

_I’ve written, rewritten and re-rewritten this so many goddamn times, I don’t want to forget anything important. But I think I’ve said all I need to._

_All I want is for you to be happy, Chlo._

_So, travel and see as much of the world as you can, go show the world how amazing you are and know that I’ll be thinking of you, always._

_I wish you nothing but the best, Sunshine.”_

Chloe sniffled absentmindedly flipped the page over, not expecting any more… but to her surprise, she found a short message scrawled on the back, as if in a hurry.

_(Just one more thing, though and I want you to remember this because it’s the most important thing that I’ll ever say.)_

_Chloe Madeleine Beale,_

_The second best thing in my life was falling in love with you._

_The first was finding you._

_Yours always,_

**_BM_ **

Silent tears fell down her cheeks as her heart shattered in her chest. She couldn’t see through her tear-blurred vision but she could hear Stacie’s sniffles.

Chicago was the first to speak, standing up and straightening his shirt and tie.

“Typical.” he scoffed in disbelief, raking a hand through his short hair.

Chloe spun on her heel and faced her boyfriend, cradling the letter to her chest.

“Typical?” she frowned, her voice breaking.

Chicago looked from Chloe to Aubrey, to Stacie and back to the redhead before he spoke again.

“She ruined my fucking proposal.” his voice rose, his face scrunching in annoyance.

“Your… what?” Chloe grew quiet, eyes the widest they’ve ever been, as she stared at Chicago in stunned silence.

Chicago sighed, raking his hand across his face before reaching into his jacket pocket and getting down on one knee.

“Wait… what?” Stacie piped up, her attention switching between Aubrey and Chicago.

Chloe stayed silent, eyes on the little velvet box in his hands, whilst Chicago turned slightly to see the two women behind him.

“I… I thought you said you’d already proposed?” Aubrey said, her tone quiet and confused.

“I was going to this morning, but Chlo went for a run like she usually does, then decided that she needed to go to the grocery store.” he said, his tone accusing as he shrugged.

Chloe rolled her eyes at that, “We needed milk because you haven’t picked any up the last three times you’ve gone to the store.” she argued

Chicago shook his head, this was getting out of hand, he was trying to propose here. But before he could say another word, Aubrey spoke up.

“But… but you told me, she’d said yes?” the blonde frowned, she didn’t like being lied to.

“You lied to her?” Stacie’s voice rose, as her anger flared up again, taking a protective stance in front of Aubrey.

Chicago could feel the brunette’s piercing gaze and decided not to look at her, as he addressed Aubrey specifically.

“Aubrey, I didn’t lie to you. I _was_ going to ask her this morning after I rang you… and she’s going to say yes, anyway… so what’s the big deal?” he sounded so sure of himself, and that’s what made Stacie feel like she was going to explode with rage.

Aubrey could practically _feel_ Stacie vibrate with anger, so she placed a hand on the brunette’s arm in the hopes of calming her down.

Stacie exhaled slowly through her nose, before speaking, her tone eerily calm.

“What makes you so sure she’ll say yes?” she asked, tilting her head and raising a brow. She took immense pleasure in seeing the brief flicker of fear in his eyes, before he outwardly scoffed and stood up, half forgetting he was in the middle of proposing.

“She has no reason to say no.” he laughed, standing to his full height.

“Erm, she just read a ton of fucking reasons to say no!” Stacie spat back, her dislike for him growing by the second.

“Can we please stop talking about Chloe as if she’s not here?” Aubrey suddenly yelled, all three pairs of eyes landing on the redhead, who stood still silently.

Chicago took a step closer, leaning down slightly to get into Chloe’s line of sight.

“Babe, what do you say?” he asked again, smiling as he got down on one knee, lifting the lid of the velvet box to reveal a beautiful ring.

Chloe’s breathing became shallow and she could feel a panic attack coming. A big one.

Aubrey recognised all the signs and crossed the space between them immediately. Shoving Chicago out of the way, she stood in front of Chloe and grabbed her hand, placing the redhead’s on her chest and encouraged her to breath in and out to the beat of Aubrey’s heartbeats.

Chicago watched on, feeling guilty for having caused Chloe to have such a drastic reaction.

Once she’d calmed down, Chloe leant her forehead on Aubrey’s shoulder and the blonde could tell she was exhausted without even having to look at her face.

“I think we should come back to this another time.” Aubrey said formally, to no one in particular.

“Yeah.” Chicago stood up and fixed his jacket, looking at Chloe expectantly.

“I thought it’d be nice to propose to you around your friends if nothing else, but clearly I was wrong. I’ll just do it at home.” the edge to his voice was evidence alone that he was pissed off.

Chicago walked to the front door where Stacie held it open, trying her best not to physically just kick him out.

“Chloe?” he called impatiently and only then did the redhead find the strength to lift her head from Aubrey’s shoulder and glance over at him.

“I-I think I’m going to stay here tonight.” she muttered quietly, head down. The blonde’s arms instinctively tightening around her.

Chicago took a deep breath before making his way back over to her, Aubrey shifting them so she was in between them.

“Chloe, let’s talk about this at home.” his tone was calm, but Aubrey could see fire in his eyes and her gut told her not to trust him.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve had a slumber party, isn’t it Chlo?” Aubrey tried to lighten the mood, she could feel Chloe slump against her.

Chloe peered gratefully up at the blonde before addressing Chicago again.

“I’m going to stay. I’ll call you tomorrow.” she said a little louder than necessary, at which Stacie, who was still holding the door open, coughed deliberately to get his attention.

“You haven’t given me an answer.” he spoke quietly now, eyes on Chloe.

“She just said-” Aubrey began, before she got cut off.

“I know what she said!” He spoke through clenched teeth, “But she hasn’t accepted my proposal, and if she’s not coming home, I want an answer now.” he urged, eyes pleading the redhead.

Chloe bit her lip, “I” she uttered and began shaking her head no, to which Chicago groaned loudly.

“Come on, Chloe… you can’t be serious. You’re telling me that you had no idea that _Beca_ was in love with you? All these years?” he spat the name, laughed maniacally.

Chloe grew self-conscious as she looked up at Aubrey and over at Stacie, the remnants of her heart disintegrating into nothing as she took in their uncomfortable and remorseful faces.

Chloe was still trying to process everything. Feeling completely overwhelmed she ran to the stairs, taking two at a time and locked herself in the bathroom.

Every interaction she’d ever had with Beca played in her head. How had she been so stupid? How had she been so god damn clueless? The thought of not having Beca in her life caused her knees to buckle beneath her.

She collapsed with her back against the bathroom door, her breathing laboured as sobs built in her chest. She pulled her knees up to her chest, the pieces of paper that had still been clutched to her chest then fell to the floor beside her, as she hugged her arms around her legs in a futile attempt to keep herself from breaking into pieces.

Struggling to gain control of her breathing, the pounding in Chloe’s ears grew louder and louder, before everything went black.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think? Comments = Updates


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